For Better or For Worse
by thejournalisticartist
Summary: I do not own Scooby-Doo. *Trigger warning for panic attacks.*


Shaggy and Daphne were both snuggled under the blankets of the queen size bed they shared. The moon shone through their bedroom window, causing their wedding bands to glint in its radiant light.

Daphne was sound asleep- wrapped in the arms of her beloved husband, her head resting on his chest. She was enveloped in the most peaceful sleep she'd had in years. It was dreamless, yet a small smile had managed to creep onto her face.

Had Shaggy been awake, he'd be envious of the state of his sleeping wife. Sweat beaded his forehead and slightly dampened his V-neck. His eyebrows knitted together in an obvious frown. His right arm- which had been draped on top of Daphne -lightly flung off of her and landed to his side, causing him to lie on his back while his hand made a tight fist. Shaggy's breathing began to increase in small gasps. However, they were too quiet to be able to alert Daphne. Shaggy began to toss and turn, causing his remaining arm to slip out from underneath Daphne's back, finally waking her up.

Daphne yawned, still feeling very drowsy, and rubbed her eyes as she slowly sat up. "Shaggy?" she sleepily muttered. Confused by the lack of reply, Daphne opened her eyes and saw Shaggy still thrashing about in his sleep. Her eyes widened and a small gasp escaped from her lips. She quickly realized that Shaggy was having a nightmare.

It had been eight years since Mystery Incorporated had disbanded. After having graduated, they had all decided to to solve one last mystery together before moving on with their separate lives- if you can count the life that Shaggy and Daphne had now shared as one separate life. The outcome of it, however, was not what they would typically receive when cracking a case.

Like many times before, Daphne had been kidnapped by the scandalous villain they were after. By the time the rest of the gang had tracked her and the culprit down at an old abandoned warehouse, the criminal had forced her into his car and attempted at driving off with her. However, he had been driving at full speed and did not expect to be quickly surrounded by several police cars. Naturally, he had crashed into one of the vehicles and since Daphne had been tied up, she was unable to wear a seat belt and was consequently thrown from the car.

After being unmasked, the criminal, the policeman, and Daphne were all rushed to the hospital. While the other two had made it out without any severe injuries, Daphne had been stuck in a coma for an entire week. The gang took it incredibly hard. Had they not already decided that that would be their last mystery, they would have done so then and there. Shaggy, who had proposed just after graduation, took it harder than anyone. He hardly ate and barely slept, which was uncommon for him to do. Needless to say, Daphne woke up and recovered at an exceptionally fast rate. But that entire week without Daphne, blaming himself for not protecting her, anxiously wondering if the love of his life would ever open her eyes again, had severely traumatized Shaggy. Even after they had gotten married, he still suffered from nightmares and anxiety or panic attacks out of fear of ever losing her again, although they had decreased in frequency after their marriage.

"Shaggy, wake up," Daphne pleaded while attempting to shake her husband's shoulder. Shaggy's squirming, however, made it quite difficult to do so. "Shaggy, please." After what felt like an eternity to Daphne, Shaggy finally stayed still long enough for her to firmly grasp his shoulder and shake him hard enough for him to wake up.

Shaggy's eyes flew open as he shot up into a sitting position. He let out an ear-piercing scream that sent a chill down Daphne's spine. Shaggy hugged his knees and buried his face in the blankets draped over them, his breathing heavy. Daphne hesitantly rested a hand on his shoulder, trying to bring a sense of comfort to him. After nearly eight years of marriage, Daphne still wasn't always sure what to do or how to handle these attacks. What Daphne _did_ know was that she didn't even have to ask what the nightmare was about. It was always the same. The events of their final mystery would play in his head, the only difference being that she never woke up. She also knew that she just had to be there for Shaggy and comfort him in the best way possible. She needed to remind Shaggy that she was right here beside him and that she was _not_ going anywhere.

"Shaggy, it's okay," Daphne spoke softly so as to not alarm Shaggy. "I'm right he-"

Daphne suddenly cut herself off, noticing something unusual about Shaggy's breathing. It hadn't yet normalized and he was beginning to hyperventilate. He began to grip his unkempt brown hair, hiding his face even more than he already was. She knew now that he was having a panic attack. Thinking quickly, Daphne removed her hand from Shaggy's shoulder and got out from underneath the blankets. She got up from her spot on the bed and sat back down directly in front of Shaggy.

"Look at me," she ordered. Shaggy was too busy panicking. "Shaggy, look at me."

Shaggy finally pulled his shaking hands away from his head, only for them to now tightly grip the blankets. His knuckles became a similar shade to that of the white down comforter he was clutching. His dark brown puppy dog eyes looked directly into Daphne's. He was clearly on the verge of passing out.

"I'm right here," Daphne reminded him, "okay? I'm not going anywhere." Shaggy's breathing began to slow down a bit, but not enough for his panic to cease. "Just breathe, Shaggy. In through your nose..." Daphne demonstrated her instructions and Shaggy followed along with her. "...and out through your mouth." After a few times, Shaggy was able to do said breathing exercises on his own while Daphne continued to soothe him. "It's been eight years, remember? We haven't solved a mystery in a long time. I haven't been kidnapped in a long time. I'm not in a coma. I'm here. I'm _right_ here. I'm safe."

Shaggy took a shaky breath. "You're safe," he repeated.

Daphne nodded. "That's right." She knew that at this point Shaggy had calmed down enough that it would be okay for her to use physical contact once more. Without getting up, Daphne moved so that she was once again sitting next to Shaggy and wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "And I'm not going anywhere."

Shaggy swallowed. His breathing was still heavy, but he was no longer hyperventilating. He closed his eyes as his grip on the comforter loosened. Shaggy opened his now tear-filled eyes and once again looked Daphne in the eye. "Like, Daphne, I-" Before he could even begin what he had to say, Shaggy suddenly collapsed into his wife's arms and began to sob uncontrollably, his head now resting on her chest.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tears escaping from his eyes and staining Daphne's light purple nightgown. "I'm so sorry."

Daphne rubbed Shaggy's back and frowned in confusion. "For what?"

"For..." Shaggy choked back on a sob. "...for being like this."

"Hey," she consoled. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault. Besides, you're my husband. Helping you doesn't bring me any displeasure."

Shaggy's head transitioned to Daphne's lap, as if he were a child being comforted by his mother. Daphne subconsciously ran her fingers through Shaggy's brown hair, moving a few strands away from his eyes. "I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I'm a coward. All those years of mystery solving and all I ever did was, like, run away. _You_ were the one getting kidnapped all the time, not me. I shouldn't be so... so..."

Daphne finished for him. "Traumatized?"

Shaggy nodded before a small sigh escaped from his lips. "Why would you ever want to marry a man like me?"

"Because I love you," she reminded him. "I knew exactly what I was getting into when I married you. And the only reason why you're like this because _you_ love _me_. So, I don't care if you're suffering, or that I have to help you get through it. I'll do whatever it takes to help you, Shaggy. For better or for worse, remember?"

Shaggy nodded once again. "Right." There was a brief moment of silence before Shaggy quietly asked, "Daphne? Why _do_ you love me?"

Daphne was taken aback. "What?"

"For the longest time," Shaggy explained, "I thought you loved Fred. In your eyes, Fred is perfect. To you, he's so smart and attractive. I know he'd never act this way. He's, like, so much stronger than I am. I don't know why, but you chose to be with me over him." Shaggy sighed. "He would have been perfect for you."

Daphne thought for a moment. "Exactly."

"What?"

"I don't want perfection," Daphne stated. "I want you, flaws and all. I love Fred, but not in the same way that I love you. Fred is like a brother to me, and Velma is like a sister. But you, Shaggy? You make me happy. You make me feel loved. You make me smile and laugh when I need to. You give me support and advice when I need it most. You may not be perfect, Shaggy, but you're perfect to me. I wouldn't settle for anything less..." Daphne gestured to their current setting. "...than this."

Shaggy thought about what his wife had just told him, going back and analyzing each and every word she said. "You mean that?"

Daphne nodded. "I do." She paused for a moment. "Feel better?"

Shaggy nodded, not removing his head from her lap. He yawned, feeling exhausted, and quietly whispered, "I love you, Daphne."

Daphne smiled. "I love you, too, Shaggy." She bent down to give Shaggy a soft kiss on the head before continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

Five minutes later, Daphne could hear her husband snoring softly and looked down at him to see that he had finally fallen asleep. Feeling happy knowing that her husband was finally at peace after tonight's events, she collapsed back onto her pillow and fell asleep instantly.

**THE END**


End file.
